Strawn in Palo Pinto County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Thomas House

Photographed by Duane Hall, September 8, 2016

1. Thomas House Marker

Inscription. Designed by Dallas architect Thomas J. Galbraith and completed in 1919, this house is an excellent regional example of the Prairie School style of architecture. Its strong historical associations with area ranches and with the Ranger oil boom lend additional significance to its place in the architectural history of Palo Pinto County.
     Rancher Randal Burton Thomas, Sr. (1886-1969), grew up in West Texas assisting his mother, Mary Ellen Satterfield Thomas, in running her family ranch. Having first arrived in Strawn from Bowling Green, Kentucky, by 1881, when railroads began to reach this area, their family was among the region’s first settlers.
     The Ranger oil boom, begun in 1917 with McClesky No. 1 Well, brought new wealth to the family from the many producing wells on their properties. When Thomas began making plans to move into town, he designed this house with living quarters for his family on the north side and for Mary Ellen Satterfield Thomas on the south side. It remained their home until their deaths.
     The Thomas House features strong elements of the Prairie style, with its horizontality enhanced by the use of wide, projecting eaves. Designed to be heated with coal from the nearby mines in Thurber, the house features extensive use of concrete and a red metal roof. Still in the Thomas family at the turn

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of the 21st century, the house is an important reminder of West Texas history and culture.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2002

Erected 2002 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 12708.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1919.

Location. 32° 33.478′ N, 98° 29.865′ W. Marker is in Strawn, Texas, in Palo Pinto County. It is at the intersection of Central Avenue (State Highway 16) and Binney Street, on the left when traveling north on Central Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 715 Central Ave, Strawn TX 76475, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Prairies & Lakes Region.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the Comanchería,

the Republic of Texas,

and one of the Confederate States of America.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Home of Stephen Bethel Strawn (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); James Nesbit Stuart House (approx. 0.3 miles away); Strawn (approx. 0.4 miles away); Bethel Strawn, C.S.A. (approx. 0.4 miles away); Strawn City Hall (approx. 0.4 miles away); Mount Marion Cemetery (approx. 1.2 miles away); Mary Jane Gentry (approx. 1.2 miles away); Joseph Peter Davidson (approx. 2.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Strawn.

The Thomas House image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Duane Hall, September 8, 2016

2. The Thomas House

View to west across Central Avenue (SH 16)

Credits. This page was last revised on October 4, 2016. It was originally submitted on October 4, 2016, by Duane Hall of Abilene, Texas. This page has been viewed 1,043 times since then and 58 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 4, 2016, by Duane Hall of Abilene, Texas.